Improvement in braiding-machines



UNITED STATES PATENT Onere.

LIVERAS IIULL, OF GHARLESTOVN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRAIDING-IVIACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 58,830, dated October16, 1866.

zontal section taken immediately below its race-plate. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal and central section of it. Fig. A is a vertical sectiontaken through two of the race-circles and the mechanism beneath them.Fig. 5 is an underside view of the plate O and its Springcams,hereinafter described.

The purpose of the machine hereinafter described is to fabricate two ormore distinct braids and connect them together at their edges in theprocess of making them, in order that when completed they shall be inthe form of one braid ot' a width equal to their united widths.

With my invention the braids may be of the same or difterent colors intheir' threads, and thus I am enabled to form braided goods, such aswebbing, bands, or belts, with stripes of two or more different colors.

The drawings illustrate a machine for malting two braids of dit'terentcolors and conjoining them at one edge of each, the threads of one beinginterbraided or interlaced with those of the other at their edges to beconnected. To accomplish this I make one race-circle of the machine acommon terminal circle of two series of race-circles for the formationof the two braids.

In braiding-machines each terminal carrier has one horn more than thatnext to it-that is to say, that while the terminal carrier has tivehorns the next adjacent carrier will have four horns. The two externalterminal carriers, A and E, of my new machine have tive horns each, andthe two next carriers, B D, have only four horns to each of them g butthe middle carrier, C, or that which is common to the two, I constructwith ten horns, and of sufficient size therefor. Each horn of each ofthe carriers, except the middle one, G, is recessed or formed of twoteeth or projections, t t, extending up from the gear-wheel a b d emaking part-of such carrier. It is into this recess (shown at u) thatthe drivin gprojection of the racer extends. rEhe horns of the middlecarrier, C, are, however, composed of only one projection, the spacesbetween them being so arranged that they may co-operate with the`recesses u of the pairs of projections t t.

The drivin g-gears a c e of the three terminal carriers are each of onesize-that is, their diameters are equal, and each gear has the samenumber of cogs or teeth. rIhus, the carrier C will revolve in the sametime with either of the other terminal carriers, A E. Consequently, eachof the smaller carriers, B D, will operate with every other one of thespaces w' between the horns of the middle or common terminal carrier,G-that is to say, while the rst, third, tifth, seventh, and ninth ofsuch spaces will operate with one carrier, B, the second, fourth, sixth,eighth, and tenth spaces will operate with the carrier D.

With such a construction and arrangement of the carriers and theirrace-circles, and with proper means of detlecting the racers from onerace-circle of their course into another as oc casion may require, I amenabled to effect the manufacture of two distinct braids of differentcolors, and to connect them at one edge of each, so as to form aparti-colored braid or webbing.

The racers of the two series, in going through the middle race-circle,will intertwine or bind together certain of their threads, whereby thetwo distinct braids will be united at their adjacent edges.

In the drawings, the two external terminal racecircles are shown at I N,andthe common terminal racecircle is exhibited at L. The other tworace-circles are shown at K M. The middle circle, L, opens into each ofthe circles K M, in manner as shown at g and h.

ThereA are affixed to the under side of the plate O of the commonterminal circle two springs or springcams, i k, (see Fig. 1,) whichoperate at proper times as guides to direct or turn the racers out ofthe middle termin al racecircle and into either of the nextrace-circles.

A recessed and cannned plate, R, formed as shown in Fig. 2, is aftixedto each of the carriers B D, the office ofthe cams or projections lZ/ZZof such plate R being to prevent the racers from running out of themiddle racea circle when they should pass by an opening 2 saso leadingout of it. The recesses fr in the plate also serve to steady and directthe racers as they pass into the lesser race-circles.

A gear, S, is made to engage with one of the gears of the carrier-train,so as to put the said train in movement. In other respects, thebraiding-machine is to be constructed and supplied with racers and theirnecessary appliances in the manner common to other braiding-machines inordinary use.

It is no difficult matter to make a braid of any width by a commonbraiding-machine properly constructed therefor; but in this case, werethreads of different colors used in the racers, the braid formed wouldnot have regular stripes of color, as each color in the process ofbraiding would be carried entirely across the braid from edge to edge,for each racer would have to travel throughout the entire course ofrace-circles; but with my improved machine each racer goes only throughits own course of race-circles, one ot' which circles is common to thetwo carriers. Thus, the two colors or threads of two colors can onlyintertwine while the racers are passing through the terminal race-circlecommon to the two carriers. Therefore, that principle by which myinvention or braiding-machine is distinguished from others consists inits having one terminal carrier and its race-circle or groove, or themechanical equivalents therefor, common to or constituent parts of twoordinary mechanisms for making'a braid, the same being so constructed aswhile making both braids to cause threads for each to be so intertwinedas to connect the two braids at one edge of each in a manner to form ofthem a single braid, which, when the threads of the racers of onemechanism may differ in color from those of the racers of the othermechanism, will have two distinct stripes running lengthwise of it.

It will be evident that by so combining several mechanisms for makingbraids that a carrier and its race-circle shall be placed between thetirst and second, and the second and third, the third and fourth ofthem, and so on, and be constituents of each next adjacent pair ofmechanisms, in manner as hereinbefore described, we can make with such abraid of several dierent stripes running lengthwise of it.

In my improved machine the racers are driven by carriers, each of whichforms no part of a race-circle; and I do not employ triarmed tappets .tobe moved by the revolving head and the racer, and which are liable toderangement or not to operate correctly, and require the machine to berun at a very slow speed in comparison to that at which my machine canbe operated with certainty of correct action, and without danger ofderangement of the racers.

I do not claim two braiding mechanisms so arranged that one terminalcarrier shall bc common to each of them, as hereinbefore described; nordo I claim in such a machine the employment of recessed rotary heads toform the inner boundaries ot' the race-courses or race-circles, and toremove the racers through such circles.

I claim- My improved compound braiding-machine, constructed in mannerand so as to operate as described-viz., as composed of the carriers A BC D E and their gears, the race-circles I K L M N, the spring-cams d lo,and the recessed and cammed plates R It, the whole being arranged as setforth.`

LIVERAS HULL.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr.

